in search of silver linings
by synpitou
Summary: Stories are who we are. No matter how boring or how grandiose, everyone has one - so what's yours? (OCs)
**[x] {H} [x]**

 **Introducing x the x Eldest**

 **[x] {H} [x]**

The world can change in numerous ways, especially when one considers the impact of any and all action taken by the occupants of said world. Every decision a Hunter makes, every action a criminal takes, every child born into the world…all of it has an impact. As for the magnitude of the effect each action – each _person_ – makes…well, that depends on the determination put forth and willpower held within.

A baby, of course, can't put forth effort as they are, but their birth can mean everything.

 **In 1980, a girl is born with eyes of mint and hair of lavender.** She is a quiet baby, unusually so, only really screaming upon receiving the mark of her family at the tender and oh-so-young age of six months. It is a simple lotus flower, tattooed into the soft flesh of the babe's left ankle – done so with Nen imbued ink by her own father, as is tradition. Days later there is chaos – screaming, gunshots, the distinct smell of burning flesh – and with the will and heart of a loving mother, she runs with no plans of surviving, only saving. Along with loving, protective thoughts for her infant daughter, one phrase repeated through her head, the motto of her once-home –

" _We reject no one, so take nothing from us."_

As her vision blurred, the still-new mother finally stumbled past the start of the trash heaps, the moon high in the sky above. Someone – the woman wasn't sure who at this point, man or woman, young or old; her senses were too far gone – approached, hesitant and firm yet concerned.

(But the young mother didn't care that she couldn't see nor hear much past the ringing in her ears. All that mattered…)

"Ar…den."

She thrust her arms forward, an awkward squawk-like sound escaping the blurred figure as they took the now sniffling bundle from the dying woman's arms.

"…name…Arden."

And with that, her heart clenched painfully – because that was her daughter, and she wouldn't get to see her grow – before she fell to the ground, never to move again.

 **[x] {H} [x]**

Even when the kid had been practically shoved into his arms eight years ago, she'd been quiet despite the circumstances. She had sensed that she was losing her mother, sure, kids were intuitive like that after all (or so he'd been told), but even then her whimpers and cries had never been overly loud. That day was probably the loudest he'd heard the brat cry – in a sense he supposed she was a nice baby in that way, easy to deal with even considering his near zero experience with kids, let alone babies. It probably helped that he had his younger sister there to help him, which he was insanely grateful for (not that he'd admit that; she'd hold it over him until she died – for even if _he_ died, she'd just gloat over his grave). So he was wondering where he had gone wrong, exactly, for her to have turned into _such_ a little _shit_.

Arden was quiet still, but had a penchant for trouble that he couldn't curb no matter what he said or tried. The kid was stubborn – it was all harmless fun for her, or so she claimed (he could see sadistic sparks among the mischief in her eyes; his sister thought he was just _paranoid_ ).

"What are you scowling at now, Finn?" Yuliana tapped a sharp fingernail against her smirking lips. "Did little Arden piss in your cereal?"

"No, you disgusting woman, why would you even say such a thing?!"

Yuliana's smirk turned mocking, "It's just a _phrase_. Which I've used before or did you forget, you doof?"

Finn scowled, a faint pink line dusting his cheeks, " _I know that_! It was a _joke_! I was joking!"

"But Finn, you don't know what jokes _are_." The voice was high pitched, signaling the youth of its owner, and was coming from around the corner of the small shanty house they called home. "Even if your _face_ is a pretty good one."

What followed happened quickly – much too quick for average people to follow – and was punctuated by angry mumbles, the scratching of flailing feet on the ground, and the yelp of a child. Finn's ears still had that tell-tale reddening as he hefted the small lavender haired child by the back of her shirt, like a kitten being grabbed by its scruff. She reacted like one too, making her eyes look as doleful as she could given her failed escape – though if Finn was being honest the carefree smirk tugging at the brat's lips counteracted her attempts pretty damn nicely.

He was rather impressed at the combination though – doleful and amused all at the same time; there was no effect except for an ounce of respect for her impressive control over her facial muscles.

"I heard _yelling_ in town kid, what did you do?"

The joke had already been forgotten, despite Finn's anger beforehand – the suspicion of what the brat had done interested him far more than anything else.

Arden just blinked and Yuliana chuckled before speaking up in the child's stead –

"I'm fairly sure it had something to do with Nobu." Yuliana waved a dismissive hand, a fond sort of smile on her face. "I heard Uvo laughing, and that other fellow with him – Phinks, I think? Though it was more of a _smirk_ than a laugh – it meant the same thing though."

"Nobunaga? _That_ bastard is back?" Finn scowled before turning back to his charge and shaking her, "You've messed with the wrong person this time kid – but you got _lucky_ that he let you get away."

A put out pout found its way onto Arden's face as her cheeks puffed out, clearly disagreeing with her guardian. It was something that irked the red-haired man and he shook her again, a little more fiercely than before, eliciting a rather loud rip as the lavender haired girl dropped to the ground. Finn froze and Arden looked up at him, her sports bra the only thing covering her upper half now, face blank aside from the doleful look that had arisen in her bright green eyes once again –

"You owe me a new shirt, _geezer_."

Finn ignored the snickering from his older sister and pushed back the strange mixture of annoyance, anger, and resignation that was causing the muscle in his forehead to twitch rather violently.

"Whatever, brat, I'll get you a new shirt. Just stay away from that bastard from now on."

"Finn," Yuliana chided as she ruffled the passing child's already unruly hair, "They're not that bad, really."

An indignant sniff was the prelude to his response, "I didn't say they all were – only that Nobu-bastard."

 **[x] {H} [x]**

All things considered, Arden really could understand a bit of why Finn had told her she'd been lucky to get away from that guy. She hadn't noticed until after she'd already pickpocketed the guy (she was still impressed with herself over her little act; nearly tripping him and calling him an old man – it got him all riled up) but he was…fierce. Even then Arden didn't think that was quite the right word to describe him – maybe dangerous was a better term, but she kind of liked fierce more.

The point was – after she'd already taken action, she'd seen this _look_ in his eyes.

It was predatory, full of anger and the willingness to take action. Arden would be lying if she said it hadn't caused her gut to clench – but she'd also be lying is she said that it hadn't been somehow… _thrilling_.

At least in the moment it had been, but not so much now.

"Stop dragging your feet, Arden." Yuliana's hand was bunched in the back of Arden's (new) shirt as she marched her through the streets. "Some _mischief_ is fine, but pickpocketing?"

"I just wanted to see if I could." Arden almost had to skip to keep up with Yuliana's brisk pace, only bothering to do so to prevent her new shirt from getting stretched out. "Besides, it's not like no one does it around here…"

It took a split second for Yuliana to reach over with the hand not holding the child's shirt to grab her cheek and pull, eliciting a rather placid 'ow' in response. Yuliana's scowl was made fiercer by the deep red of her hair and the emotion sparking in her eyes –

"Yes, but you shouldn't do it to _your people_. In Meteor City we stick together, watch out for one another. There are some little shits around here who feel differently, but I'll be damned if I let _you_ go down that path."

"Oi! There's that little shit!" The voice was loud, masculine, and familiar to both of the girls – though the feelings that came with hearing it were obviously very different. "Eh? Yuliana? Is that you? Did this little pest mess with you too? I've been looking for 'im myself, the little thief."

Arden remained unamused at the man's appearance, aside from the initial wince upon the loud volume that he had used. Yuliana, on the other hand, seemed quite pleased (and amused) by the young man's appearance.

"Hello Nobu, it's been a while. I'm afraid I can really hand this little shit over to you, though." Yuliana's smile was both sweet and sharp – it was a look she had mastered long ago. "She's partially my responsibility, you see?"

A look of confusion clouded his face as his sharp eyes moved from Yuliana to Arden and back again –

" _She_? Your responsibility? You have a _kid_?"

Yuliana laughed before pinching at Arden's cheek again, "Finn found her and we took her in. She's a troublemaker, but we're rather fond of her. Though, I do believe she has something she needs to say, no, Arden?"

"Well, now that you mention it…" Arden peered up at the young man through her shaggy bangs, "You might need to get your eyes checked, since you couldn't tell I'm a girl. _Old man_."

Nobunaga flushed and jabbed a finger in Arden's direction, "I'm not old, you little shit!"

Arden's expression remained flat, only momentarily going cross-eyed staring at the finger stuck in her face –

"Your mustache says otherwise."

Loud laughter startled several of the people passing by (and lurking around, watching the scene unfold) and Yuliana's hand trembled as she held back her own amusement, barely able to hold it in with the large man laughing as he was. Arden peered up at the man that had previously gone unnoticed – surprisingly so, considering his overly large stature and bulk. He had a wild sort of quality to him, and Arden likened him to the wolves that often prowled the outskirts and imagined he could be as fierce – if not fiercer – than them as well, if the spark of _something_ in his eyes said anything.

"You've got spunk, kid!"

His large hand reached out and practically ravaged her hair, leaving Arden feeling an odd combination of displeased, yet pleased. For a few seconds she eyed him – his sharp grin, his currently non-aggressive stance – and decided that, yes, she could get away with a little vindication for that hair ruffle.

"You smell like wet dog."

The man laughed again, and even Nobunaga's fierce look cracked to flash a bit of a grin for a mere second before sealing back up. Yuliana had chuckled a bit as well before steering her young semi-charge back on track –

"As glad as I am that you two seem to get along, Uvo, Arden still has something she needs to do."

Arden pouted, but shoved her hand into her pocket before hurling the wallet she'd snatched the other day back at the man who, perhaps, wasn't scowling as hard as before.

"Sorry for stealing your wallet, old man."

"It's Nobunaga Hazama," Nobunaga snatched the wallet from the air easily enough, "Master Hazama to you, _little boy_."

"I'm not a little boy."

"And I'm not an old man."

"Then shave your mustache, _old man_."

"Then _you_ grow a set of boobs, _little boy_."

 **[x] {H} [x]**

 **So I've joined** the Hunter x Hunter fandom. (I so didn't binge read the entire series in three days. Nope.)

For those curious:

Nobunaga is eighteen in this chapter. Uvogin is twenty, and the once-mentioned Phinks is only fourteen.

Finn is currently twenty-eight.

Yuliana is just twenty.

Also! Fun fact: The title is from Lauren Aquilina's song 'Sinners'

Also, anyone got any summary tips? I feel like I can do better than the one I have.


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